Axle box and its lubrication



Patented May 6, 1930 p UNITED .STATES- FREDERICK W. MARTIN,` or BROOKLYN, AND ,FNANKIL rET'E'Rs, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.,

WARE

fssIGNOR'sfro 'FRANK-LIN RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, A QORPOIATION or DELA- AxLE nox AND Irs LUIRIoATIoN Application med February a7, A192s. serieu 10,621,535.l

Our `invention relates to railway vehicle axle boxes and their lubrication. e aim to provide for adequate and positive lubrica tion of the axle bearings in such boxes at all 6 'times,fby supplying' them with lubricant under pressure. How this andY various other objects and advantages can be realized in a novel manner through our invention will appear from our description hereinafter of the best form of embodiment known tous, comprising alubricant pump applied to a loco.-V motive driving box and actuated or driven from corresponding locomotive axle.

y invention, the'view being taken from the iiii I n thedrawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of a locomotive axle `or vdriving box with provisions for lubrication in accordance with'our Iier side of the bom-andthe axle appearing in section. Y 1 Fig. 2 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig, 1, taken as indicated by the line 2-r-2 in he axle box 5 illustrated in the drawings is of the usual inverted U form, `and may be, in general, ofany standard or approved de- 'and construction As shown, itsbear'k ing for the driving wheel axle 6 is formed by a brass crown piece 7 mounted and secured in the box in the usual manner.

f VLi'ibricant''under pressure is supplied and forced into the axle bearing by a pump 10 here shown as located below the axle 6 at "theV inner side or the box 5," and supported from the latter. VIn the present instance, the pump 1 10 is'ac'tuat'ed by a cam projection 11 on the axled ti beyond the inner side of the box 5, and lubricating o il is conveyed from the pumptothe axle bearing by a copper pipe or tube.` 12 connected between a delivery nipple `13 on the pump casing and a supply nipple and duct 14 in the journal brass 7. The cam projection 11 need not, of course, be initially formed as part of the axle `6, but may instead be attached or secured thereto in any desired i manner, as, for example,fby welding it on.

As shown in Fig. 2, the duct 14 terminates in a groove or channel 15 extendingin the di# rection of the axle -6 almost all the way across the bearing surface of .the brass 7', so that the lubricant shall be forced between axle and bearing by the pump 10 over a correspondlng width.k .Pre'ferably, the oilingfchannel' 15 is located substantially at the point or re4 gion of the bearing where kthe pressure is nor-v` mall'yhighest when the locomotive is in loperation, as foundV byy experience, so that the oil thus entering the bearing will spread out circumrerentiallyinto theregions yof lower n is itself mounted and secured betweenv the lower-ends oi' the axle box 5 beneath the axlel 6, .like an ordinary lubricating cellar. The

pump casing 21 is shown Vas cast integral with` the'rest of the cellar structure 20 and projecting inward beyond the inner side or end of the box 5. The cellar structure adords a reservoir for the vlubricating oil, partly in its main portion or chamber 22.l between the depending legs or1sides of thebox 5, and partlyina smaller chamber V23 in the pump casing 21, between said chamber 22 and the boreor barrel 24 for the pump plunger 25. The reservoirs 22 and 23-communicate by a hole or duct 26 (Fig. 2), and Voilnaturally gravitates from the former into the latter.

Vlhen the plunger rises, oil'from the reservoirf23 gravitates and vis drawn into the pump .b ore 23 through: a'hole or duct 27. Then the plunger 25 descends, it closes this duct 27 and forces the :confined oil out through the delivery duct 28, past the ball check valve 29, and through the passagel and the delivery pipe `12 tothe bearing. In the present instance, the plunger 25 is depressed by the action of thecam 11 on its enlarged and rounded upper end 32 andfis raised by a helical compression spring 433 in the enlarged upper portion `34g of the bore 24:.' The oil in the much" exposed reservoir'23 is agitated and kept troia-freezing bythe back and forth pumping'action of the plunger portion 32 in the enlarged bore 34, which communicates with the chamber 23 by two suitably separated holes or ducts and .36. Oil in the less exposed reservoir 22 is kept from freezing by the heat from Athe Ajournal brass 7 that upward by a helical compression spring'40` whose ylower end is mounted. and Y engaged about a boss 41 on the chamber bottom. The

absorbent 37 thus acts to wipe the axle 6 vwith lubricant much after the manner of the usual Vgrease cake vin the ordinary cellar. Surplus oil from vthe waste37 drips throughl the plate 38 and is thus returned to the rest ervoir in the bottom Vof the chamber 22.

Spent oil that has worked or leaked out vat the outer side of the box sei'ves to lubricate the friction of the drive wheel hub (not shown) with the latter. Spent oil leaking or working out at the inner side of the box runs down into grooves 44 in ridges on the end wall of the cellar 20, and thus into cotton waste or other absorbent in a sort of drainage trough 45 in thetop of the pump casing, whence it runs back through one or more holes or ducts 46 into the reservoir 23. Oil

Y leaking up around the plunger enlargement is caught in an undercut groove 47 in the wall ofthe bore 34 and led into the trough 45 by a hole or duct 48.

It will be seen that on detaching the pipe4 12 from the nipples 13 and 14,`it is a very easy matter to remove thewhole cellar and pump structure 20, 21 frointhe box 5, just like any ordinary lubricatingcellar, or to replace them in like manner.` Y

Ve claim: v 1. Lubricator equipmentjfor locomotive axle box bearings comprising in combination,

a relatively narrow groove in thewearing face of the bearing extending longitudinally thereof and located at the point of high pressure for normal forward running ofthe locomotive, and means operable upon rotation of Y the axle to force lubricant under pressure to said groove whereby to lubricate the bearing in opposite circumferential directions, from the point of highest pressure to the regions of lower pressure. fi l Y 2. Lubricator equipment for locomotive axle box bearings comprising in combination, a lubricant "reservoir, a relatively narrow groove in the wearing face of the bearing extending longitudinally thereof and located at the point of high pressure for normal forward running of the locomotive, and means operable upon rotation of the axle for forcing lubricant u nder pressure from said reservoir to said groove whereby to lubricate the bearing in opposite circumferential directions from the point of highest pressure to the regions of lowerpressure.

3. The combination with' a railway vehicle axle and axle box andacellar for the latter;

of a pump structure carried by said cellarV and projecting beyond the vinner side ofthe axleV box, said pump structure including a Vlubricant reservoir, a delivery passage, and ay plunger bore drawing-.from thel former and discharging through the lattergaplungerin said bore, and a cam on the axle for actuating lit; withmeans-for conveying the pumped lubricant'from said discharge passage to the axle Abearing andforreturning spent lubricant tovsaid reservoir, together with means for i agitating and; circulating Vthe lubricant y within saidreservoir.

V4.Lii'bricator equipment for locomotiven axlebox bearings comprising, in combination, i

- a lubricant receiving cellar, a' reservoir, car-l ried by said cellar and disposedto one side;

thereof for receivingl lubricant therefrom, a

vertically extending bore in the outer wall of said reservoir, a vertically reciprocable plunger voperable in said bore,iand a pair of` vertically separated ports communicating between saidbore and reservoir for effecting circulation ofthe lubricant through said"4 bore upon reciprocationy of said axle boxr bearings comprising, in combina-V tion, a lubricant receivingcellar arranged immediately beneath the axle, an integra-l outl ward extension of vsaid cellar constituting an auxiliary-reservoir for the lubricant, a vertically extending bore provided in the outer wall of said reservoir, the bottom of said bore being in communication with vsaid yreservoir and with a delivery passage, a` plunger-arranged for vertical reciprocation in said-bore andpr'ovided with 'a downwardly extending plunger rod oflreduced section, said Yrod being, operable during its downward stroke to seal saidreservoir at the saine time thatit forces lubricant through said `delivery pas-V sage, and a pair of vertically separated ports communicating between said 'reservoirV and bore for effectively agitating the lubricant in the reservoir upon vertical `reciprocation of the plunger in said bore. v

fgLubricator, equipment for locomotiveY axle box bearings comprising in combination, a lubricant receiving reservoir, aV pump havingjan intake *port from'said reservoir and being adapted .to deliver oil to the bearing and means associated with said pump for circulating the oil within the reservoir in the vicinity of said port. .Y

7. Lubricator equipment,Y for locomotive driving box bearings including incombina-k tion a relatively narrow groove in the wearing face of the bearing extending substantially from end to end thereof and located along thek feeding lubricant under line of highV pressure for normal forward running` of the locomotiveV and means for groove to the bearing.

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names.

FREDERICK W. MA

FRANK PETERS.

pressure thru said hereunto RTIN. 

